The parliament of Lebanon gave a nod to a two-week state of emergency declared by the government after last week’s blasts in Beirut that killed 171 people and gave rise to massive protests. The order gives the government a right to suppress resurgent protests. 

Protesters had sought barring the lawmakers from entering the session via social media posts. But, the turnout was too low with security forces outnumbering them, reported news agency AFP.

The demonstrators in vain tried to stop the vehicles in which French Defence Minister Florence Parly and David Hale, the top career diplomat at the US State Department, arrived.

The twin blasts, which injured at least 6,500 others, have resulted in widespread outcries demanding the resignation of Lebanon’s political elites, who are in positions of power since decades.

There has been widespread anger against a political leadership which allowed a large shipment of hazardous ammonium nitrate fertiliser to rot for years in a port warehouse despite repeated safety warnings.

An AFP investigation found that up until the day before the deadly blast, officials had exchanged warnings over the cargo, but did nothing despite experts’ fears it could cause a major conflagration.

As he presented his government’s resignation on Monday, Prime Minister Hassan Diab blamed the blast on decades of corruption and official mismanagement.

Even President Michel Aoun, a symbol of the status quo, has acknowledged the need to “reconsider” the country’s governance after the disaster.

Parliament on Thursday approved the resignation of seven lawmakers who had stepped down since last week over the blast.

Attempts by officials to distance themselves from the political elite failed to convince many ordinary Lebanese, who saw nothing more then an exercise in buck-passing.

“We are taking to the streets to stop the criminals from meeting,” said one post on social media networks, calling for rallies on Thursday. “You have destroyed us! Leave!” said another.

The government had already declared a two-week state of emergency the day after the explosion.

But as the measure lasts more than eight days, Lebanese law requires that it be approved by parliament, according to The Legal Agenda, an NGO.

The state of emergency allows the army to close down assembly points and prohibit gatherings deemed threats to national security, and expands the jurisdiction of military courts over civilians.

The army can also raid homes at any time and impose house arrest on anyone engaged in activities considered to threaten security, human rights groups said.

“Human Rights Watch is very concerned that the state of emergency would be used as a pretext to crack down on protests and snuff out the very legitimate grievances of a large segment of the Lebanese population,” its Lebanon researcher Aya Majzoub said.

Expanded jurisdiction of military courts is especially worrying as “military courts in Lebanon do not respect due process rights and violate international law,” she told AFP.

Protests have rocked central Beirut on successive nights, leading to scuffles with security forces who have fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.

The anger on the streets has reinvigorated a 10-month-old protest movement that had largely fizzled out in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and a worsening economic crisis.